Snakes and spiders in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County, home of Pittsburgh, has 12 snake and 60 spider species on record, from 864 licensed snake and 781 spider records. Venomous species here: the eastern copperhead.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Allegheny County?
Yes. The eastern copperhead: 64 licensed records, 25% of all Pennsylvania records of it.
What snakes are in Allegheny County?
In all, 12 snake species are on the Allegheny County list. The most recorded are the common garter snake (211), the queen snake (132) and the northern water snake (97). Allegheny County holds more than half of all Pennsylvania records of the Kirtland's snake.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Pennsylvania records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 211 | 13% |
| 2 | Queen snake Regina septemvittata | 132 | 23% |
| 3 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 97 | 11% |
| 4 | Eastern milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum | 65 | 12% |
| 5 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 64 | 25% |
| 6 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 61 | 12% |
| 7 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 52 | 15% |
| 8 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 40 | 4% |
| 9 | Eastern ribbonsnake Thamnophis saurita | 32 | 31% |
| 10 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 24 | 13% |
| 11 | Kirtland's snake Clonophis kirtlandii | 14 | 61% |
| 12 | Shorthead garter snake Thamnophis brachystoma | 8 | 2% |
When are snakes out in Allegheny County?
Observation records of snakes in Allegheny County run mostly April through September, peaking in May with 29% of them, the same peak as Pennsylvania as a whole.
What spiders are in Allegheny County?
In all, 60 spider species are on the Allegheny County list. The most recorded are the orchard orbweaver (72), the bold jumper (50) and Paraphidippus aurantius (38). Allegheny County holds more than half of all Pennsylvania records of the thin-spined jumping spider, the Hart's jumping spider and the cone-shaped orbweaver.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Pennsylvania records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | 72 | 17% |
| 2 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 50 | 14% |
| 3 | Paraphidippus aurantius | 38 | 20% |
| 4 | Zebra spider Salticus scenicus | 28 | 21% |
| 5 | Dysdera crocata | 25 | 29% |
| 6 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 23 | 21% |
| 7 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 22 | 12% |
| 8 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | 21 | 12% |
| 9 | Grayish jumping spider Phidippus princeps | 21 | 37% |
| 10 | Thin-spined jumping spider Tutelina elegans | 20 | 56% |
| 11 | Asian wall jumper Attulus fasciger | 16 | 25% |
| 12 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | 16 | 25% |
| 13 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 16 | 8% |
| 14 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | 15 | 31% |
| 15 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | 14 | 11% |
| 16 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | 14 | 25% |
| 17 | Hammerjawed jumper Zygoballus rufipes | 13 | 36% |
| 18 | Pseudeuophrys erratica | 13 | 21% |
| 19 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | 12 | 20% |
| 20 | Black laceweaver Amaurobius ferox | 12 | 32% |
| 21 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | 12 | 12% |
| 22 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | 12 | 15% |
| 23 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | 12 | 31% |
| 24 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | 11 | 13% |
| 25 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 11 | 21% |
| 26 | Flower crab spider Mecaphesa asperata | 10 | 28% |
| 27 | Myrmarachne formicaria | 10 | 33% |
| 28 | Barn funnel weaver Tegenaria domestica | 9 | 31% |
| 29 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | 9 | 7% |
| 30 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | 9 | 16% |
| 31 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 8 | 4% |
| 32 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 8 | 9% |
| 33 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 7 | 6% |
| 34 | Arrowshaped micrathena Micrathena sagittata | 6 | 8% |
| 35 | Banded fishing spider Dolomedes vittatus | 6 | 17% |
| 36 | Longbodied cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides | 6 | 18% |
| 37 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 6 | 9% |
| 38 | Sixspotted orbweaver Araniella displicata | 6 | 8% |
| 39 | Hart's jumping spider Tutelina harti | 5 | 56% |
| 40 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | 5 | 14% |
| 41 | Cone-shaped orbweaver Cyclosa conica | 4 | 50% |
| 42 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | 4 | 10% |
| 43 | Allocosa funerea | 3 | 19% |
| 44 | Pholcus manueli | 3 | 18% |
| 45 | Garden ghost spider Hibana gracilis | 2 | 11% |
| 46 | Garden spider Araneus diadematus | 2 | 8% |
| 47 | Heptagonal orbweaver Gea heptagon | 2 | 12% |
| 48 | Western lynx spider Oxyopes scalaris | 2 | 20% |
| 49 | Blacktailed red sheetweaver Florinda coccinea | 1 | 33% |
| 50 | Bridge orbweaver Larinioides sclopetarius | 1 | 5% |
| 51 | Common Hentz jumping spider Hentzia palmarum | 1 | 4% |
| 52 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | 1 | 5% |
| 53 | Northern yellow sac spider Cheiracanthium mildei | 1 | 5% |
| 54 | Pisaurina dubia | 1 | 8% |
| 55 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 1 | 5% |
| 56 | Twospotted cobweb spider Asagena americana | 1 | 8% |
| 57 | Broad-faced sac spider Trachelas tranquillus | — | — |
| 58 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | — | — |
| 59 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | — | — |
| 60 | Red-spotted orbweaver Araneus cingulatus | — | — |
When are spiders out in Allegheny County?
Observation records of spiders in Allegheny County run mostly April through October, peaking in May with 19% of them; across Pennsylvania the peak is June.
What stands out in Allegheny County
Species for which Allegheny County holds a large share of all Pennsylvania records: the Kirtland's snake, 61% (14 of 23); the thin-spined jumping spider, 56% (20 of 36); the grayish jumping spider, 37% (21 of 57); the hammerjawed jumper, 36% (13 of 36); Myrmarachne formicaria, 33% (10 of 30); the black laceweaver, 32% (12 of 37); the eastern ribbonsnake, 31% (32 of 103); the sylvan jumping spider, 31% (12 of 39).
Common in Pennsylvania, not on the Allegheny County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Pennsylvania, these do not reach the county list: the timber rattlesnake (479 statewide), the red-bellied snake (465 statewide) and the smooth earth snake (368 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Allegheny County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the northern water snake, the eastern milksnake and the eastern rat snake. No cottonmouths reach the county list, and GBIF holds no cottonmouth record for Pennsylvania under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the northern water snake. No coral snakes reach the county list, and GBIF holds no coral snake record for Pennsylvania under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the eastern milksnake. No widow spiders reach the county list, but the northern black widow and the southern black widow are on the Pennsylvania list: treat any spider like them as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the triangulate bud spider, the common house spider and the twospotted cobweb spider. No recluse spiders reach the county list, and GBIF holds no recluse spider record for Pennsylvania under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the longbodied cellar spider.
Allegheny County among Pennsylvania counties
By licensed snake records Allegheny County ranks 1st of 67 Pennsylvania counties with any.
Other Pennsylvania counties with their own page: Warren County, Westmoreland County, Erie County, Centre County, Montgomery County, Bucks County, Philadelphia County and Dauphin County.
The whole state: venomous species in Pennsylvania, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.